Tate Stevens
Tate Stevens (born Stephen Eatinger '''on March 1, 1975)'' ''is an American country singer from Belton, Missouri who won season 2 of The X Factor USA. His mentor was LA Reid. Background Before trying out for the show, Stevens had worked in construction and, at the time of his audition, was working for his hometown's street department helping to pave roads. He had tried to pursue a career in country music before, having toured with some bands for several years, but gave it up to support his family. Ironically, it was his family who convinced Stevens to try out for The X Factor. Personal Life Stevens has been married to his high school sweetheart, Ashlie, since 1997. The couple have two children, son Hayden and daughter Rylie. The family live in Raymore, Missouri, which is a suburb of Kansas City. X Factor Stevens tried out for the show in Kansas City, Missouri where his rendition of "Anything Goes" by Randy Houser. He impressed the judges, who sent him to bootcamp where he continued to do well. He did well enough to get through to Judges' Homes with LA Reid as his mentor. Reid chose Stevens to go through to the live shows where he seemed to flourish, showcasing his strong country vocals on various songs ranging from "Bonfire" by Craig Morgan to "If Tomorrow Never Comes" by Garth Brooks. He proved to be impressive week after week, always being in the top 2 on the leaderboard. Stevens' image as a dedicated family man was evident especially when he would get emotional talking about them. However, Stevens wasn't immune from criticism, where he was often accused of coming across as "boring" or "bland" or even "predictable". Stevens won The X Factor on December 20, 2012, winning a $5 million recording contract and the chance to star in his own Pepsi commercial, which aired during the 55th annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2013. Performances Post X Factor Stevens' first post-X Factor performance was on December 31, 2012 when he replaced singer Phillip Phillips on Fox's New Year's Eve special in Las Vegas. He performed one of his best performances from the show, "Bonfire". Stevens signed a deal with RCA Records Nashville on January 15, 2013. He debuted his first single, "Holler If You're with Me", during the 2013 Grammy Awards in his Pepsi commercial on February 10, 2013. The song was released digitally on iTunes on February 5, 2013. The song peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Debut album Stevens' self-titled debut album was released on April 23, 2013. The first single from this album is called "Power of A Love Song". The album debuted at number 18 on the Billboard 200 with 17,000 copies sold in its first week. The album has also received positive reviews from critics. The album has sold 38,000 copies as of July 11, 2013. Leaving RCA Nashville Despite "Power of a Love Song" peaking at number 49 on the Billboard Hot Country Airplay chart, no other singles were released from the album. Stevens parted ways with RCA Nashville in mid-2013. He is, however, still signed to Syco Music. New label and new single On February 28, 2014, Stevens, now signed to RPM Entertainment, released his new single, "Better at Night". No word yet on when his second album will be released, but he did announce that the album will be produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Blake Chancey. Discography '''Albums: * Tate Stevens ''(2013) * TBA '''Singles:' * "Holler If You're with Me" (2013) * "Better at Night" (2014) Gallery 1352479396_tate-stevens-560.jpg belzinha.jpg la-et-ms-20121220-001.jpg tate.jpg tate1.jpg tate2.jpg tate-interview-1320x744-650x380.jpg tate-stevens.jpg tate-stevens-650-430.jpg Tate-Stevens-The-X-factor.jpg tate-stevens-x-factor.jpg Post-1109-1351141087.jpg Category:Winners Category:Season Two Acts Category:Acts Category:The X Factor USA Category:Male Contestants Category:Over 25s Category:Season Two Category:Mentored by LA Reid